BMW launches X7 M50d for Rs 1.63 crore

The BMW X7 is the flagship SUV in the company’s lineup and it has been on sale in India for almost a year now, in xDrive30d and xDrive40i variants which start at Rs 92.5 lakh and Rs 1.06 crore respectively. This puts the new M50d that has just been launched at Rs 1.63 crore at the top of the X7 lineup, with its more powerful engine and the fact that it is a CBU while the other two are assembled locally. The imposing front-end of the X7, the sheer amount of space on offer and now in M50d guise, the ability to outrun almost anything on the road, make it one of the most complete packages on sale in the country. With the main difference from the standard X7 to the M50d coming from the engine, let’s take a look at what lies under the hood:

Powertrain

Under the hood of the X7 M50d sits a three-litre quad-turbocharged six-cylinder engine. Yep, that’s four turbochargers. This results in 394bhp and 760Nm of torque, propelling this behemoth to 100kmph in just 5.4 seconds and onto a limited top speed of 250kmph. The engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, sending power to all four wheels via an M Sport differential.

Aside from the monstrous engine under the hood, the M50d gets larger alloys, 22-inches, shod on 275 section tyres at the front and 315 section tyres at the rear! Moreover, the M50d gets an aggressive bodykit including — reworked front bumpers and rear bumpers with the former featuring larger intakes. The blingy-ness of the standard X7 is gone too, with darker elements replacing the chrome almost everywhere. On the inside, the M50d gets a splattering of ‘M’ logos, an M leather steering wheel and contrasting stitching to differentiate it from the ‘regular’ X7. The M50d also comes with a fairly long feature list including — adaptive air suspension, the stunning three-part panoramic glass roof, temperature controlled cup holders, gesture control, a fully digital instrument cluster and much more.

At Rs 1.63 crore, the X7 M50d is no mass market SUV. However, with seven-seats, a powerful engine and all the technology you can think of, it justifies that price tag. The X7 M50d doesn’t really have a direct rival, the soon to be launched Mercedes-Benz GLS comes close. The GLS should offer more luxury and comfort than the X7, but it will probably be less rewarding behind the wheel. On the other hand, the Audi Q8 doesn’t have nearly the same amount of real estate or luxury as either of the two but scores higher in the cool factor. We smell a comparison test brewing, do you?